Gathering Storm: The End of the Future
by Eon Penumbra
Summary: OC'S NEEDED! Storm, a Riolu with incredible powers, sets out on a journey to defest Primal Dialgia. Full summary in Chapter 1, slightly AU. Set in Grovyle's future, PMD2.
1. OC Submission Forms

**Well, my first official fanfic, Gathering Storm, is now in progress. I am going to extend an invitation to all those who partake in the art to submit OC's for this fic. Almost all characters in here are original, so I will need some help thinking them up. Villains, heroes, and characters of all varieties accepted. Please submit in this format:**

**Name: Make it somewhat original, but still making sense. Don't name a Squirtle Flame, unless you have a story to go with it.**

**Species: Note: All characters are Pokemon. No humans allowed, except for the minor character in Ch. 1.**

**Gender: Male or Female. Or genderless, if applicable.**

**Age: Storm is about 6 ½ years old, and he's about equivalent to an 18 year old human, to give you an idea of the timeframe. Time was stopped five years before the fic takes place.**

**Special Abilities/Powers/Moves: For Storm, an example would be Blaze Kick and Aura abilities.**

**Personality: Give me a short biography, some background, character flaws, ect.**

**Distinguishing features: Something that sets them apart from others of their species. If you don't want them to stand out, put None.**

**Other: Notes, stuff I missed, or things you're not sure where to put.**

**Thanks, and now, onto the fic!**


	2. Prologue: Everything is Nothing

**Storm's Monologue: Everything is Nothing**

Some Pokemon think the world has gone to hell. I know better.

This world has always been, and will always be, a living hell for me.

My own people, my tribe, cast my mother and me out when I was barely able to walk. They feared what I would be capable of if I was trained, they feared my power. My father was apparently a different species than us, which was forbidden in our tribe, and he was also very strong. I never knew him, but I don't care. It would have made no difference, I've been alone, wandering the world for as long as I've been able to fend for myself.

My mother taught me the basic skills to survive and raised me until a year had passed, then she abandoned me and went off to find my father. I don't know if she succeeded or not, but I haven't seen her since.

According to what I've heard, Dialgia, the Pokemon in charge of Time, went berserk about a year after I was abandoned, causing the planet to become paralyzed. Many suffered horribly, or so they say, but for me life simply went on as usual. Time may be stopped, but I'm still here, and nothing has really changed. I'm still alone. My power continues to grow, day after day, but I remain small in stature, and unable to grow into the warrior I was destined to be. Not that that matters either. Nothing has any meaning in this life. Dialgia's warriors have tried to recruit me in the past, but I have never agreed to serve him. As promise for staying out of his way, he allows me to live life the way I want to, and not worry about anyone else.

That is, until the day he decided to break that promise.


	3. Chapter 1: Prelude to the Storm

**Full Summary: Storm is a Riolu who lives in Primal Dialgia's future. He's experienced the world before Dialgia went berserk, and he doesn't care either way. Life has no true meaning to him, but he sluggs through it, day after day. However, after a chance sighting of the battle between Grovyle the Thief, Wave the Piplup, Nick the Turtwig, and Gripper; aka Dusknoir, he is forced to kill one of Dialgia's elite minions and has a death mark painted on his back. Now he has one chance to survive being targeted by Time itself, he must kill the beast that pursues him. But he can't do it alone, and there are those besides Grovyle who wish to end Primal Dialga's reign once and for all. **

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. This won't be repeated, so I just thought I'd say it now.

**Chapter 1: Pandemonium; The Prelude to the Storm**

**(Storm's POV)**

I was foraging for food in the deepest part of the forest when I heard the sounds of a fight. My curiosity was piqued by the prospect of a battle, so I followed the noise that seemed to be moving away from me.

I leapt up and grabbed a tree branch, then used my momentum to spin around and land on the top of the branch. I jumped off the tree, hopping from branch to branch in pursuit of my quarry. I'm not an Aipom, but jumping through trees is something I can manage, being a strong and agile Riolu. The onrushing battle seemed to be heading towards the plateau at incredible speed, something faster than I could normally match in the dense forest growth I was using to hide myself from view.

"Enough of this," I muttered, annoyed. "If they're going up to the plateau, then I can go around this stupid forest and up to the plateau without being spotted if I climb the rock face. I'll get there twice as fast."

With this plan in mind, I landed on the bottom branch of a tree and jumped higher and higher until I reached the topmost branches. I focused my energy, my aura, in the soles of my feet and pushed off with all my might towards the sheer face of the cliff. My small body shot off the tree as though shot out of a cannon, and I flew forward at a speed great enough that I could smell the air around me beginning to burn. The scent of ozone filled my nostrils, but I blocked it out and focused on my trajectory.

Several rocks floated off the cliff, supported in midair by the frozen time. I angled myself towards them and began to descend. I tucked into a ball and rolled to reduce the impact, then grabbed the edge as I went over. Grunting with exertion, I hauled myself up, to find myself on one of the topmost rocks around the plateau.

I surveyed the landscape below me, turning from side to side to see the area I had left behind. The forest was the same as the rest of the world; bleak, grey and motionless. No wind blew, no water flowed, no trees moved, everything that could not move on its own was still. The sun never rose, and all color was drained from what had once been a lush green tree line. However, the path the battle had taken stood in some slight contrast to the rest of the forest. The combat had carved a swath of destruction into the forest landscape, scattering large Pokemon like Aggron and Hippowdon to the wayside, as though they were little more than fallen leaves in a mighty tempest.

My acute perception of Aura told me that several of the Pokemon were near death, and indeed, as I watched, an Aggron's body crumbled to dust. In the state of global paralysis, our bodies only had form so long as our life force held them together. When our lives are extinguished, our bodies simply crumble away.

I turned away and continued up the mountain, jumping from one piece of stone to another. Their deaths were of no consequence to me. Life was always unchanging here, so there was little enjoyment in it. Doing something stupid to break the practiced routine of the day, getting into battles just to do something different, that was all some of us lived for. To commit suicide meant being trapped without form in this life, because Primal Dialgia had stopped Giratina from collecting the souls of the dead. There was no release, no escape, and no hope. We were doomed to live life this way, but for me, it was always bad enough. This way, at least I am not being attacked out of fear, because Pokemon have to worry about their own problems.

I heard the battle begin anew as I climbed, only just realizing that the combat had abated once the combatants had left the forest. I saw the top of the cliff ahead, so I pushed off the last of the rock I was leaping from, and somersaulted to land smoothly at the top of the cliff. I walked forward a few short steps to peer around one of the many small ridges that dotted the landscape. A large door that glowed with a blue sparking energy stood behind a large mass of Pokemon, that seemed to be in two groups. A group of short purple Pokemon bounced around laughing maniacally. At the head of this group stood a large grey Pokemon with large arms and hands, marked with golden lines that seemed to form a face on its stomach. The Dusknoir's single red eye stared at the group they had cornered.

A lime green lizardlike creature with leaves growing off of its body glared at the Dusknoir with enough venom to make a Mamoswine cower in fear, but the ghost seemed to take it in stride. A pink fairy hovered near the Grovyle's left shoulder, glancing worriedly at the crazy Sableye that leaped around them. Two smaller Pokemon, a green turtle with a brown, earthy shell; and a straight-backed blue penguin conversed between them, perhaps trying to form some kind of plan.

I switched to Aura Vision in order to view how the battle would unfold, and the Turtwig immediately drew my attention, like a magnet draws iron particles from sand. His Aura was unusual; a bright, refreshing green color that glowed with a lush and vibrant power. Most auras were a dull white, and held little or no power, while those that held some were usually medium-bright colors like red, yellow, or blue. I'd never seen an aura as bright and active as his. His three companions also possessed fairly stong auras, and the fairy held a crystal blue aura that was unique to those who had abilities stemming from psychic powers, but none could compare to the corona of the Turtwig's energy. The Sableye's dull grey Aura's and the Dusknoir's dark red Aura were all but invisible behind the brightness of his power.

"Well Grove, this is the end of the line for you," the Dusknoir said, referring to the Grovyle.

"It's not over yet," Grove shot back. He turned to his companions, and started barking orders. "Wave, Nick, you take care of the Sableye! Celebi, you provide backup as needed." He turned back towards the Dusknoir and locked eyes with him. "Let's go Gripper, you and me."

The Dusknoir laughed. "My, my, Grove; you're certainly confident. But even if you _can_ defeat me, can you deal with _him_?"

Even from this distance, I could still see all of the blood drain from Grove's face. "Oh no," he choked out, hands of pure fear crushing the air from his throat.

Gripper's smile was faint, but carried an air of smug satisfaction. "NOW, LORD DIALGIA!" he shouted.

My Aura Vision was suddenly blinded as the titan of time itself descended from the sky. To call its Aura bright was an understatement, I felt like I was staring into a supernova. My eyes snapped open and I clutched my head in agony, my throbbing brain trying to claw its way out of my skull.

The monster that was Primal Dialgia landed on a ridge overlooking the plateau. The orange markings on its body glowed like flames in the darkness, and the gem in the center of its chest shone with the deep crimson color of fresh blood. When the beast roared, all of time, space, and life seemed to shake with it. Even though my location was still unknown to them, I felt an immense sense of foreboding that told me to get the hell out of there. Against my better judgment, I decided to stay and watch how this would unfold.

"Still so defiant Grove?" Gripper taunted. "Where's your bravado now?"

"It doesn't matter if we die or not," Grove said gravely. "My partner in the past will finish what I started. He'll get the Time Gears and prevent this from becoming a reality!"

Gripper laughed mirthlessly. "And pray tell, what is the name of your partner?"

Grove hesitated, but apparently he decided to answer anyway. "My partner…" he murmured softly. "My best friend… Nick…"

Something he said made Wave, the Piplup, jump. "But Grove, this is Nick right here!" he yelped, pointing at his Turtwig partner.

Grove kept his cool, and answered calmly. "He can't be the same Nick," he said. "My partner… is human."

I flinched, wondering if I'd heard him correctly. A human? And a Pokemon? Working together? What kind of lunatic could ever think of such a thing?

Gripper's laugh cut through my thoughts, somewhat irritating me with how disruptive he was being. "Make no mistake, Grove," he admonished mockingly. "That Nick and your partner are one and the same."

"How do you know?!" Grove snapped. "You've never even met him!"

"I have met him, they are the same being," Gripper reiterated. "He also possesses the Dimensional Scream."

The last statement hit home. All hope drained from the Grovyle, and even from here, I could sense his Aura weaken with the loss of his resolve. "No…" he whispered. "It's… it's over. We're doomed. Past, Present, and Future. None of us will ever be free."

Gripper's obnoxious laughter drowned out what happened, but Wave gestured madly and yelled at Celebi to act on some kind of plan. The next few seconds were pure pandemonium.

The Sableye moved in for the kill, on the spot where their four targets had stood a second before. Gripper shouted for their location, then screamed frantically for Primal Dialgia to aid them. The beast let out and earth-shattering roar, and a wave of red energy rippled out from it, and the fabric of time shattered. The quad of Pokemon appeared near the door behind Dialgia's minions. Gripper ordered the Sableye forward, but Grove, Wave, and Nick jumped into the portal, while Celebi disappeared in a golden flash of light.

Then all motion ceased, and the plateau became eerily still…


	4. Chapter 2: Like Dust in the Wind

**Chapter 2: Like Dust in the Wind**

**(Storm's POV)**

I stared in awe of what I had just witnessed. Those four Pokemon had somehow outwitted not only Dialgia's minions, but also Primal Dialgia himself. Their skill was undeniable, and their power had been quite impressive, despite the fact that they had not fought while I watched. I felt a sensation I had not felt in a very long time. A growing excitement was stirred up from my deepest consciousness, and I truly had been stimulated by the scene that had unfolded below.

'The Grovyle said he was going to go to the past and prevent this from becoming a reality,' I remembered. 'Is he an idiot? You can change the past, but not the future. This timeline's fate is already set, and changing the past will solve nothing. If one wants to be free of Primal Dialgia's control, the only way is to kill Dialgia himself.'

A wave of energy passed through the air, and I jolted with the realization that Dialgia and Gripper were using telepathy to communicate. I closed my eyes and focused, attuning my Aura to try and listen in on the conversation.

"…_will send another of my Elite's after them. You have lost a great deal of my trust, Gripper,"_ Dialgia's voice boomed out inside my head. He certainly sounded displeased, his voice grated like grinding metal and rumbled like distant thunder all at once.

Gripper was shaking out of his ghostly skin, faced with the prospect of Dialgia's wrath. _"I'm so sorry, Lord Dialgia, I have failed you,"_ he moped miserably.

"_I may forgive you, Gripper,"_ Dialgia began, _"If you kill the eavesdropper of this little conversation. However, if he wishes to save his life and join us, then allow him to do so."_

Gripper nodded frantically. _"At your command, Lord Dialgia. He will join us, or be eliminated."_

I jolted out of the telepathy, just in time to watch Primal Dialgia create a temporal field and disappear in a flash of light. I flattened my back against the ridge I was standing near, hoping they didn't know my location. My every instinct was telling me to get the hell out of there and just run as far away as I could. I don't know why, but something held me back for an instant, and that was all the time Gripper needed to locate me.

A black orb of energy streaked through the air, and I jumped out from behind the ridge just in time to avoid the ghostly projectile. As I jumped, one of the Sableye appeared on the edge of my line of vision, streaking in to cut me to pieces with its claws. I spun and smacked at it with my right paw, knocking it away. We landed, and I faced the group of seven ghosts, hoping I'd be able to talk my way out of this.

"Why are you attacking me?" I asked, hoping to sound innocent. "I just followed the sounds of a fight up here, and now I'm the one getting attacked. Why?"

"Because Lord Dialgia has ordered you execution," Gripper replied. "His orders are absolute, and I will not disobey him."

"You won't, or you're afraid to?" I asked. "You don't have to obey him, you're just afraid of what he'll do to you if you disobey."

Gripper spread his arms wide, and the mouth on his stomach opened as he laughed. "And what difference does it make?" he asked calmly. "You have one chance to save your life. Join Lord Dialgia and we will spare you."

I considered it. For about half a second. "Forget it, Gripper," I snapped. "The day I join Dialgia is the day Hell freezes over." I took a combat stance, knowing that there was no way for me to negotiate with him. I'd have to beat awareness into his brain to get my point across.

"So you freely admit your dissent for Lord Dialgia," he mused. "So be it. Sableye! Eliminate him!"

The six diamond-eyed Sableye rushed in, hell bent on ripping me to shreds. The nearest one came up on my left and tried to hit me quickly with a Sucker Punch. However, I simply moved my head and the attack missed. The Sableye's miscalculation would cost him his life. Sucker Punch only works so long as your target is attacking, but I wasn't planning on leaping into the fray. I was analyzing their Auras, in order to use Foresight and hit the Ghost types with Fighting attacks.

I focused my Aura in my left paw and brought it down on the Sableye's head in a Brick Break. When he hit the ground, I felt his skull fracture. The crunch of bone under my paw was at once sickening and oddly satisfying, before the body turned to sifting sand around my arm.

I stood, and stared my attackers down. "Next."

The Sableye looked at each other, nodded rapidly, then came at me as a group. I smirked, as I had provoked this response. I focused my power in my legs and just as they got close, I shot through the middle of them at full speed, a cloud of dust kicked up by the speed of my Quick Attack. I passed Gripper, then spun and faced them to attack.

"Your mistake," I taunted, then I inhaled deeply and let out a piercing scream. The powerful sound waves buffeted the Sableye, and three of them turned to dust before the crushing force of my Screech attack. I streaked in on the remaining Sableye once again, rushing past Gripper who was holding his ears in agony, and pressed my paws into the last two Sableye's chests. I released a powerful burst of golden energy through their bodies, instantly annihilating them. My Force Palm did great damage at close range, and hitting someone point-blank would almost always be fatal.

Suddenly, a large shadow loomed behind me, and I turned to see Gripper, swinging down his large fist that was enveloped in ghostly energy. I was too close to dodge, so I blocked his Shadow Punch with my own attack. The large Dusknoir pressed all his weight into the attack, trying to force through my guard. I held fast, and focused on my right paw once again.

"You're a coward, Gripper," I snarled, clenching my fist tighter, feeling the ghostly energy envelop and shadowy claws took shape out of my paw. "You're afraid of Dialgia. If you serve someone, do it because you want to!"

I thrust my fist forward and stabbed my Shadow Claw into his stomach. The Dusknoir moaned in pain and clutched at his perforated gut as he fell to the ground with a thud.

I walked forward, examining my handiwork. The Shadow Claw had gone straight through him, and directly damaged his flame of life, the very core of a Pokemon's life force, as it pierced him. He would never survive such a grievous injury.

"Do you want me to finish you off?" I asked him. "Or do you want to have these last few seconds of your life?"

Gripper coughed, his life was already fading. "I will use my last few seconds to tell you something," he ground out, his voice gravel-rough with pain. "You were right earlier. I'm a pathetic coward who serves Dialgia out of fear. I hated him, and hoped one day I would be free of him. When I was sent to the past to capture Grovyle, I was…happy. People accepted me, admired me, and even tried to befriend me. I carried my orders out only because of fear, and tried to kill them because I was afraid for my own life. I can never redeem myself." He coughed again, harder than before, and his fingertips started to turn to dust. Gripper continued on, heedless of his fast approaching death. "However, the last thing I can do is to try and help you escape Dialgia's clutches."

"How?" I asked, curious in spite of myself.

"Travel directly southwest, until you find the coast," he replied. "There is a refuge for those who have incurred Dialgia's wrath or displeasure in that area. You may find a safe haven there."

His body started to turn to dust more quickly, and his one eye closed. "Tell me, what is your name?" he implored quietly.

I jumped; I hadn't thought he had enough energy left to speak. "My name is Storm," I told him.

"Storm…" Gripper murmured, then smiled faintly. "Good luck, Storm. You will scatter your foes like dust to the Four Winds. The end of Time is fast approaching. At this point, what you face is the calm before the storm."

His body turned completely to dust, his final words echoing in my head like whispers in a canyon.

I stepped onto the dust pile and focused my Aura more intensely than I had and time thus far. According to my mother, this move was my father's technique, and I rarely used it because of its power and the nature of the energy needed to use it. Too little, and the move would misfire and probably kill you. Too much, and you could literally burn out your flame of life and die.

I forced all of the power into one foot, and blazing red and gold flames erupted out of my leg. Gripper's ashes caught fire quickly and burned like kindling in a campfire. The flames expanded into a ring around where I stood, the flickering flames, the crackling smoke, and the intense heat all combined into a surreal mirage. The Blaze Kick burnt itself out quickly and fizzled into sparkling embers and grey smoke that blended into the perpetual blandness of the paralyzed world, a funeral pyre for a Pokemon with a noble heart.

I mulled over Gripper's final instructions to me. _'Travel directly southwest until you find the coast. There is a refuge for those who have incurred Primal Dialgia's wrath or displeasure in that area. You may find a safe haven there.'_

'Why not?' I figured. 'At the very least, it'll be interesting.'

"_Well done, Storm,"_ a grating, rumbling voice spoke out in my mind. _"I honestly thought that defeating Gripper would give you more trouble. You've exceeded my expectations."_

"Who are you?!" I demanded of empty air. "Show yourself!"

The metallic voice chuckled. _"I am at my palace, Storm. Does that tell you who I am?"_

My blood froze in my veins, and though the temperature was perpetually warm here, I shivered as though stroked by an icy chill. "Primal Dialgia," I breathed. "To what do I owe this…displeasure?"

The voice laughed, a booming echo in my brain. _"Come now, why so hostile?" _

I bristled at how he was patronizing me. "I'll give you one guess, monster," I spat. "You tried to kill me, and you've disrupted the natural order of this timeline. Anything to say for yourself?"

Dialgia's tone could not have been more patronizing. _"I _am_ the timeline, Storm. I am all of Time, and the ruler of this world! I am Dialgia!"_

My anger flared like tongues of flame from a forest fire. "You stupid fool!" I snarled. "All of life has no meaning because of you and your insane delusions of grandeur! I don't care what your purpose here is! Go ahead and play 'Ruler of the World'! I want no part in this!"

"_Be reasonable Storm…"_

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" I roared. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, DAMMIT!" I stopped, breathing heavily. Dialgia had apparently decided that pestering me would get him nowhere and left.

I looked to the sky, noting the position of the North Star, Polaris, directly in front of me. No matter where you were, you could always navigate with Polaris to guide you. "That's North," I muttered, pointing. "So South is here." I pointed in the opposite direction. "West is here." I moved my North facing arm to face West. So southwest would be… I angled myself about halfway between West and South, then clapped my hands together. "…That direction."

I took off towards the southwest, my thoughts finally starting to come back down from the adrenaline rush of combat and argument with a maniac. I began to wonder why I had acted the way I had. Working against self-preservation, showing Gripper his error and calling out his cowardice, ticking off Dialgia, none of which were things I would ever think of doing normally.

Reality started to set in over my wonderment. I was now a wanted fugitive and a dissenter to Dialgia's regime. I had a death mark on my back, and I had made an enemy of Time itself.

If Gripper was right, and Dialgia's end was coming, then I might have set the pendulum in motion. In that case, there was nothing for me to do other than go ahead and put everything on making it count down faster. My mind had been set.

I was going to take down Primal Dialgia, no matter what it took.


	5. Chapter 3: Move In, Move Out

Here's chapter three. A few people who read this sent me complaints about how Gripper was supposed to go after Wave and Nick in the past. However, Dialgia said he was going to send someone else after them, thus freeing up Gripper to get killed by Storm. I did say it was slightly AU, right?

Thank you to **Mystic-Shadows**, formerly She-Wolf-of-Shadows and Shadows-of-Virtue, and **GODDESS-Rita-ofDARK** for reviewing and submitting OC's. Thank you also to **AnOnYmOuS123**for your anonymous review of Chapter 1.

**Skye Gavin**, OC Submission fics are allowed, and there are several highly successful ones on this site. If that was an honest mistake, that's fine, just don't post that again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. I didn't post that before, so I figure now is as good a time as any.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Move In, Move Out**

**(Storm's POV)**

Gripper had to told me that there was a sanctuary for dissidents to Dialgia's regime to the southwest. What he hadn't told me was that getting there was such a pain.

I ducked under yet another punch thrown by the large Aggron that blocked my path. The metallic beast roared in frustration and tried again, but instead of dodging, I sidestepped and grabbed his arm. I pivoted my weight and lifted him into the air before slamming him facedown into the ground. I watched with a grimace as the Aggron dissolved into dust. Before the events of yesterday, I would have been perfectly fine with killing a thousand opponents. Now, I felt pity for them. None of them deserve the fate that they got, but few if any retained enough reason to let me pass without a fight. I had no choice.

I continued on over the ridge in front of me, and I jumped down to land on a grey beach. The sea, gray and unchanging, stood out in front of me, some waves still locked into place as they were about to crash into the shore. I breathed a sigh of relief; I had finally found the coast.

I noticed a set of stairs that seemed to be cut into the rock face of the cliff. I climbed upward, and looked up into the strangest structure I'd ever seen. The building was a pink and white blob with green windows at the top. There were large protrusions near the top like ears, and a small grate stood in front of the doorway. The opening was blocked by a large iron gate. I shook my head in disbelief. "Some peoples' senses of style are really weird," I muttered, before I strode forward and stepped on the grate.

"Pokemon detected, Pokemon detected!" a voice suddenly shouted out from below, making me jump.

"Whose footprint, whose footprint?" another voice called back, slightly less loud than before.

"It's a Riolu's footprint. It's not one of ours," came the response.

"Is that so?" the second voice asked. "Azona, Flash, you're on guard duty, so go for it.

The gate opened, and a yellow blur raced out straight towards me. I backflipped out of the way and landed on a pile of rocks a short distance away. Another Pokemon, this one dark blue and tan with red spots on its back, ran out of the grate and shot several balls of flame at me. I ducked under these and rolled down the rock pile as the blur streaked in behind me. I kicked out my foot, trying blindly to make contact. I small yelp of pain told me I'd done so, and I spun and punched the blur, now revealed to be a Pikachu wearing a red scarf. The Quilava rushed up the slope towards me as the Pikachu hit the ground hard, but I jumped over it and pivoted in midair, dodging as it shot several more fireballs in my direction. I pulled my fist back and then punched forward at full strength as I landed, creating a shockwave that smashed into the rock pile where the Quilava stood and exploded.

The grey dust that was kicked up by my attack cleared quickly with no wind to keep it suspended. The Pikachu rose slowly to his feet, holding his head from the pain created by my Vacuum Wave. "Ouch…" he muttered. "Dialgia's minions are getting tougher."

The Quilava rolled to its feet as well, and growled in anger. "Dammit, we're so screwed." Her voice was rough, but unmistakably female. "Why would someone as powerful as you serve that bastard Dialgia?"

"I'd never stoop that low," I shot back. "I came here because I heard that there was a sanctuary for those who dissented against Dialgia's regime here." Both of my opponents stopped for a second and looked at each other blankly. I grinned at their surprise. "I'm glad to see that the rumor was true."

"Wait, then why pick a fight with us?" the Pikachu asked, head cocked to the side in confusion.

"You attacked me first," I reminded him.

He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh yeah," he laughed, then he jumped down the rock pile to land next to the door of the strange structure. He motioned for me to follow, then walked inside.

I felt something poke me in the side, and I looked down to see the female Quilava standing behind me. "What the hell are you waiting for?!" she snapped, poking me again. "Get moving!"

I scowled in annoyance, but I went inside the building anyway, the Quilava scampering around me. Inside, the Pikachu was conversing with a tall, red Pokemon with a large tan crest. The Pokemon's long grey arms ended in clawed hands, and many battle scars covered his hide. I recognized him as a Blaziken, and I walked forward, hoping to get farther into the room. The Blaziken saw this and raised one of his clawed hands. "Stay where you are," he ordered, his voice deep and his eyes flashing with power. It went without saying that he was the leader here. I nodded and stopped, so the Blaziken lowered his hand. "What's your name, Riolu?" he asked.

"Storm," I said bluntly, impatient to get my point across.

The Blaziken nodded. "My name is Flare." He pointed to the Quilava and Pikachu who stood off to one side. "That's Azona and Flash."

"I believe we've met already, but hi anyway," I said sarcastically, causing the Flash to laugh, but making Azona scowl. I turned back to Flare, and looked him straight in the eye. "I came here to avoid Dialgia, just like everyone else," I told him. "I've got a death mark on my back."

He nodded. "I believe you, but I have to make sure," he said, before walking over to a hole in the back of the room where a vine ladder protruded from the floor. "Hey Rika," he called down. "We've got another one here to join us. Can you give him the once over to make sure he's not corrupted?"

"I'll be right up, Flare. Just a minute," a female voice called back. I felt a strange sense of nostalgia upon hearing the voice, it was so familiar to me.

There was a light shuffling sound as someone climbed the ladder, and a Pokemon emerged from the hole in the floor. My whole body tensed as I recognized the distinctive scar that covered most of her back, the one shaped like a flame. It could only be her.

The female Lucario turned to face me, and predictably jumped out of her fur. "Storm?!" he gasped, completely flabbergasted.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to dispel the anger which was bubbling up in the pit of my stomach. I opened my eyes and put on the best smile I could muster. "Hello, Mom."

Flare jumped. "What?!" he yelped, which was completely out of line with his fearsome appearance. "Rika, you mean he's…"

She nodded. "Yes Flare, he's our son."

I gritted my teeth in rage, not the petty anger or annoyance I was so prone to, but pure, unmitigated hatred. The flames of my fury boiled my blood and flesh until I was shaking with trying to contain it all. Here I was, confronted by the very parents who had abandoned me to die when I was a child. I wanted to kill them. I wanted to tear them to pieces and bathe in their blood and pain and suffering.

_splish…_

The sound of a drop of liquid hitting the floor drew my attention, snapping me out of my homicidal fog. There was a drop of blood on the floor, and I looked up in amazement to see my mother crying tears of blood. My jaw dropped, and I struggled to speak. "You… why…"

Our eyes met, and I felt like my soul was being sucked out through my heart, tearing through all of my emotions and memories, destroying everything that made me who I was. The whole world was engulfed into heartache and oblivion, until pain was all I had left…

And then it stopped. I gasped in shock as I realized that I was back in the same room where I had been standing the whole time. I understood immediately what had happened. I had felt the full impact of my mother's pain and hatred of herself through her Aura. Those feelings had manifested themselves as tears of blood.

"Storm…" she gasped through the tears. "I can't say it enough but… I'm so sorry for abandoning you. I didn't have any choice."

"You had no choice?" I asked, no longer enraged, only mystified. "What forced you to leave me?"

My mother wiped at her blood-stained fur, trying to clear it from her eyes. "If I had taken you with me, you would have died. I knew I was going to be going into a warzone, and no matter how strong you were, you were untrained, and could not properly defend yourself against a battle hardened warrior."

"A warzone? There was a war going on?" I questioned.

Flare nodded, and took over. "Seven years ago, Dialgia started corrupting the minds of Pokemon, and turning them against each other. Many Pokemon were drawn into the conflict, and many times those who had retained their reason had to kill family members, tribesmen, and comrades. It was a bloody war, and Dialgia just sat back comfortably while friends became foes and we killed each other to survive." He gestured at himself, encompassing the scars and battle wounds he had received. "Almost all of these are from battles I fought in that blasted war, and your mother had it just as bad. However, when she gave birth to you, your tribe freaked out because they feared you were a bad omen. In a time of peace, they might have allowed you to live. In the fog of war, all they could think to do was kill you. After you two fled, the Lucario tribe fell into complete chaos, and most of them fell under Dialgia's control."

"So what happened to them?" I asked, trying to grab onto a fact to give me time to absorb it all. "What happened to the other Lucario?"

My mother grimaced. "As far as I know, they were all wiped out. I killed a fair number of them myself, and so did Flare. A few of them kept their reason and fought for us, but they all died because of Dialgia's sick games." Our eyes met again, and this time her sadness was punctuated by fierce determination. "We're the last of our kind, Storm. That monster killed all of us, and he needs to pay."

I clenched my paw into a fist, feeling her fury as much as my own. "I want to destroy him. Everything he's done needs to be given back to him a thousand fold. I'll kill him myself."

"Just hold on a second, Storm," my father reasoned. "Dialgia was strong enough that when Rika, Guildmaster Wigglytuff, and I faced him, he crushed us with no saving grace, and killed the Guildmaster. No matter how strong you've become up north, Dialgia is a Legendary Pokemon, and it's suicidal to fight him head on."

"No shit," I shot back. "I'm not talking about fighting him head on. I'm going to take a different approach to fighting the war."

"How's that?" Flash asked.

"Simple," I told him. "When you're fighting one-on-one, being defensive is fine, but when you're outnumbered, you have to take every chance you get to strike. The same strategy applies here. Dialgia and his minions outnumber us, but if we send out a raiding party composed of me and three others, we can fight defensively and attack opportunistically at the same time."

Flare considered it for a minute, stroking his beaked chin with his hand. "It's an audacious proposal," he murmured. "Are you sure you're willing to do this? You'll be putting your life on the line."

I laughed. "You even need to ask?"

Flare chuckled. "True enough," he admitted. "Let's go downstairs, where the rest of the Guild is. Maybe you can get some volunteers from the rest of our ranks."

He walked over to the vine ladder and slid down, disappearing beneath the floor. My mother followed, and both Flash and Azona walked over to the ladder. Flash slid down, while Azona looked back at me. "Don't you know how to use one of these?" she asked.

I shook my head, and she sighed. "Come over here, and I'll demonstrate." I walked over, and looked down to see several floors below us. Azona reached out and grabbed the vine ladder. "It's simple," she told me. "All you have to do is grab the ladder and hold on. Your weight carries you down, and you can control your speed by tightening or loosening your grip. Watch me." She grabbed the ladder in both paws and jumped over the hole, then she began immediately sliding down. As I watched, she went quickly past the second and third floors and slowed down in time to stop at the bottom on the fourth floor. "Your turn, Storm," she called.

I nodded, before I jumped over the hole and grabbed the vine in both paws. I shot down the vine at an incredible speed, passing the second and third floors in record time. I clenched my fists as tightly as I could around the vine and slowed down to a stop about two feet from the floor. My sudden stop jolted me off the vine and I landed on my butt with a _thud_.

Azona laughed at what had happened, but offered me a paw to help me to my feet. I took it, and she pulled me to my feet. "So you fell on your ass, huh?" she chuckled. "Well, that's better than I've seen from some of the rookies. One of them clung to the vine so tightly that he got stuck halfway down."

I laughed, but I was interrupted by Flare. "Quiet down, everyone," he called, and silence immediately fell over all the Pokemon in the hall. I looked over the group, recognizing several species of Pokemon like Loudred, Eevee, and Vaporeon.

My father gestured to me. "We have a new member to the Guild," he announced proudly. "Everyone, meet Storm. Storm, meet the Guild."

Several Pokemon started clapping, but Flare raised a hand for silence and it fell quickly once again. "However, this is not the typical Guild welcome," he said. "This is also the first Guild send-off in five and a half years."

Murmurs and whispering between the gaggle of Pokemon before us started again, but this time Flare just continued over them. "Storm has created an audacious proposal that we are hoping to put into effect." My father turned to face me. "Storm, if you could please elaborate?"

I nodded and cleared my throat, stepping forward to stand next to my parents. "I believe that we need to use whatever means necessary to take Dialgia down," I announced. "As such, I've proposed the creation of a raiding party to fight Dialgia from the shadows. If I take three other Pokemon with me, we can form an effective squad for movement and battle. I need volunteers, but be aware that if you do volunteer, you'll be putting your life on the line."

The whole hall hushed, not a single sound permeated the still air. Finally, Azona spoke. "I'll go," she declared, stepping forward to stand next to me. "I believe what you said to be true, Strom. I think we've got a chance."

Several Pokemon clapped, and another one, this time an Eevee, stepped forward. His coat was tan with slight green undertones, and he wore a goofy smile on his face. "I'm in," he said. "If taking down Dialgia is what you want to do, I'll help in any way I can."

"Are you sure, Forrest?" the Vaporeon who stood behind him asked. "You'll be going into mortal danger."

Forrest sighed. "I know Virtue, I know. But I want to help stop Dialgia, and this is the only way."

Virtue shrank back, so the second Eevee, who was slightly younger than the first, stepped forward. "What the hell, I'll join the party," she laughed sarcastically.

Virtue jumped, and grabbed the young Eevee by the scruff of her neck. "No Shadow, you can't go," she admonished.

Shadow snapped at Virtue's paw with her sharp teeth, forcing her to withdraw said paw. "Sis, I'm going, and you can't stop me," she growled. When Virtue looked hurt, her expression softened and she continued. "Wouldn't you rather have me go with Forrest to keep an eye on him?"

Virtue nodded slowly. "I suppose…" she murmured, then she looked up and smiled sadly at her sister. "Good luck, Shadow. Use your powers to help them beat Dialgia."

Shadow grinned widely at her sister. "Thanks Virtue, I'll do whatever I can," she said. As she walked over and stood next to Forrest, I noticed that the brown part of her pelt was several shades darker than a normal Eevee's, almost making it look black in the right light. I looked down at my paws, remembering my own unique appearance. Unlike most Riolu, my eyes were gold with red pupils. The part of my fur that was supposed to be blue was a far darker shade than it should have been, almost blending in with the black part of my coat. I chuckled, realizing that Azona was the only normal looking Pokemon in our whole group.

Flare cleared his throat, once again garnering the attention of every Pokemon in the hall. "Alright, is everyone O.K. with this team of Explorers?" he asked. Several Pokemon murmured quietly, but no one openly dissented, so Flare continued. "So Storm, any ideas as to the team name?"

"Team name?" I asked, confused.

"All Exploration Teams have a name that they're known by. What will yours be?"

I shrugged, and turned to Azona, Shadow, and Forrest. "Do you guys have any ideas?"

Azona shook her head, as did Forrest. Shadow rolled her eyes at him, then she turned thoughtful for a second. "Maybe…" she muttered. "Team Chronos? As in Time?"

"Team Chronos, eh?" Flare asked. "Are all four of you O.K. with that?"

I nodded, Azona shrugged, and Forrest grinned, showing our respective approval for our team name.

"Alright," Flare announced. "Everyone, we have a new team. Team Chronos."

Another round of applause rang throughout the hall, and several Pokemon started cheering. I grinned happily, unable to help myself. I had comrades and friends who would fight alongside me and watch my back for the first time in my life. It was a wonderful feeling, and I was happy with just that thought.

Flare cleared his throat for silence once again. The Pokemon in the hall quieted slowly, their jubilation barely fading as time passed. After a few more seconds, the hall quieted completely and Flare continued. "Flash, can you outfit the new team with proper Exploration Team gear?" he asked. Flash nodded, and beckoned us to follow. Flare started giving orders, assigning new guards, and dismissing the rest. We followed Flash through a door on the right side of the hall behind where Flare was standing.

He ushered us into the room quickly, closing the door behind him. "This is the Guildmaster's old room," Flash whispered, almost reverently. He stepped lightly over to a cabinet in the back of the room and began rummaging through it. "All the old Explorer Kits are kept in here."

"Explorer Kits?" I wondered aloud. Flash ignored me and continued rummaging through the cabinet, so Forrest answered my question for him.

"Basic gear for any exploration team," he told me. "First is the Treasure Bag, which can hold many items, but is extremely small and lightweight. There are several battle items that go in your bag, such as Seeds, Throwing Weapons, and Orbs. Treasures such as TM's, Gummies, and Evolution items can be carried as well. Each team gets a set of scarves set to their Aura, so they can be identified as a team. Finally, the Exploration Team Badge is your most important tool. You can use it to teleport Pokemon back to the guild, and to teleport yourselves back in the event of an emergency."

"Do you get fries and a drink with that order?" I asked sarcastically, and he laughed.

"'Fraid not," Forrest said.

"I think Forrest covered everything in detail," Flash said behind us. I turned to see him holding several bags, badges, and scarves; nearly toppling over with supporting the weight. "Come and take your gear."

"Just set it down, and we'll get our stuff," Azona suggested, and Flash complied, dumping the load of gear onto the floor.

Azona strode forward and took a sky-blue scarf that she proceeded to tie around her neck. Forrest took his bag, then selected a green scarf. Shadow stood back and pondered for a bit, then she grabbed her bag and a silky black scarf that sparkled with flecks of gold. That left me with the last bag, and the silver colored scarf. I picked it up, immediately feeling the rush of Aura coming from it. I tied it around my neck, basking in the power that radiated from the garment.

"It's a good feeling, isn't it?" Flash asked.

I nodded. "I feel like I could take Dialgia down on my own," I told him.

He laughed, fiddling with his own red scarf. "I was on an Exploration Team with Virtue a long time ago," he said. "This scarf is the same one I wore when I was a member."

"How come Virtue doesn't wear a scarf?" I asked.

Shadow scoffed. "She didn't think that it fit her sense of style."

"That makes no sense."

She shrugged. "It's my sister. She never makes sense."

I shrugged back, then turned to the other Eevee. "Forrest, were you on an Exploration Team too?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was on Team Leafguard as an apprentice, but I wasn't a member long enough to get my scarf before all Exploration Teams were disbanded after the Guildmaster's death," he replied.

"I was never on an Exploration Team," Azona said shrugging. "I joined the Guild after I had some scuffles with Dialgia's minions."

Shadow scowled. "I was 'too young' to join an Exploration Team," she pouted. "I'm only a year younger than Forrest, but my sis is such a worrywart she would never let me join."

"Come on, we better get out there," Forrest prompted, walking towards the door. "The rest of the guild is going to want to see us for the send off."

Shadow went bounding after him, dodging around the closing door, which promptly smacked into Azona's face. She stumbled backwards, snarling angrily. "Son of a bitch," she muttered, punching the door open, which I held open for Flash, both of us chuckling as we walked through.

My mother turned and smiled proudly at me, ushering me forward to stand at the front of our team. Flash walked into the crowd and stood next to Virtue, who smiled before settling back into the crowd when my father called for silence once again.

"Now that we have all the members of Team Chronos fully equipped, let us recognize each member of the team individually," he said loudly.

He turned slightly, and pointed at Forrest. "First, we have Forrest, former member of Team Leafguard!" Forrest stepped forward, putting on a goofy grin, and received some applause from the Pokemon of the guild.

"Next, we have our top sentry, Azona!" The Quilava stood next to Forrest, shrugging lightly at the moderate applause from the crowd.

"Now, we have Shadow, the younger sister of Virtue, former leader of Team Tempest!" The young black-furred Eevee rolled her eyes as she stepped forward, seemingly oblivious to the solid round of applause from the audience.

Flare turned and smiled at me, before facing the gathered Pokemon for another announcement. "And last, but certainly not least, we have Storm, the son of Rika and myself, and the new leader of Team Chronos!" he shouted, making the whole audience jump in surprise. I stepped forward, crossing my arms and smirking, before the whole guild rapidly began applauding.

"Our new team, and the hope of all Pokemon, Team Chronos!" my father announced, and every Pokemon in the building started hailing our new team.

I smiled a true smile, feeling the thrill of adventure for the first time in years. I turned to the other members of our team. "We'd better get going," I told them.

Azona nodded, and ushered us to a blue panel that was embedded into the floor. "It's a Warp Pannel," she said. "It leads to the outside of the guild." She stepped onto the panel, and a flash of blue light emanated from the panel. When the light had dissipated, Azona was gone.

"Cool," I muttered, before stepping onto the panel myself. I felt a weird sensation in my stomach and suddenly I was facing the front gate of the Guild. I turned and saw Azona sitting next to the destroyed rock pile from our earlier scuffle. "Hey Azona," I called, and she turned. "Why did you join this team?"

Azona shrugged. "Because I'm tired of living like this," she replied. "I want to stop living in fear every day."

"Fair enough," I said, as Shadow appeared behind me. "Why'd you join the team, Shadow?"

"Because I wanted to have fun," she said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes, not amused. "Seriously though, why?"

She shrugged. "Because I felt like doing it," she said, not looking at me. "I don't really have a reason."

I could tell she was lying, but I knew I wasn't going to get anything out of her. Forrest popped into the area next to Shadow, and stretched his back out before straightening up. "You guys ready to go?" he asked.

Azona turned and started walking, and Shadow trotted after her. I fell into step with Forrest, trailing behind them. "So Forrest, why did you do this?" I asked, really hoping for a decent answer.

Forrest flicked his tail nervously. "Well…" he muttered. "I want to change the world back to the way it was before time stopped." He looked forward to where Shadow was trotting along nonchalantly next to Azona. "Shadow was born just after the planet became paralyzed. She's never seen the sun, never seen it rise or set, never heard the sounds of life in nature, seen the sea in motion, or even felt what a breeze is like," Forrest sighed sadly. "That's why she's so defensive, why she's always so sarcastic and acts so harsh towards people. I want to bring the world back to life, so she can just be happy."

"You really like her, huh?" I asked casually.

Forrest turned pink from his ears to his tail. "U-um… n-n-no, no-nothing like that," he stuttered.

"Clearly," I remarked, grinning at his discomfort. "Well, it's not really my business."

"Oi, Storm!" Azona called back to us. "You're supposed to be the leader, so start acting like it! Where are we headed?"

I considered the question for a moment before deciding. "Let's head for Crystal Caves, to the Northeast," I told her. "There's someone there who can help us become more powerful, and maybe give us some information on where Dialgia is located."

"So you were serious when you said you were going to kill him yourself?" Azona asked, causing Shadow and Forrest to jolt upright with surprise.

I nodded. "I was just posturing in front of the Guild. Like it or not, the only way out of this is to kill Dialgia, and unless we can power ourselves up, we don't have a prayer."

"So what are we waiting for?" Forrest asked. "Let's move out."

Azona nodded and followed, while Shadow rolled her eyes. "What fun," she drawled, voice practically dripping with sarcasm. She trotted after them, and I ran forward to take my place at the head of the group.

"Get ready Dialgia!" I shouted to the motionless grey sky. "Here we come!"

* * *

Now the main arc begins. I'm sorry for my slow update speed, but with school, band, and martial arts taking up a goodly portion of my time, I don't have much to spare for writing.

Azona belongs to **GODDESS-Rita-ofDARK.**

Forrest, Shadow, and Virtue belong to **Mystic-Shadows.**

Flash, Flare, Rika, and of course, Storm belong to me, **Eon Penumbra.**

Please read and leave comments. If you don't like it, tell me why, so I can make it better.


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